


and the walls kept tumbling down

by aeriamamaduck



Series: Somewhere to Begin [5]
Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Shapeshifters, Alternate Universe - Supernatural Elements, Angst, Angst and Feels, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Animal Transformation, Anxiety, Assassins & Hitmen, Blood and Injury, Blood and Violence, Brother Feels, Brotherhood, Established Relationship, Family, Fluff, Friendship, Gossip, Healing, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Injury, Injury Recovery, Insecurity, Long-Haired Victor Nikiforov, Love, M/M, Major Character Injury, Medicine, Mental Link, No Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Original Character Death(s), Romance, Rumors, Self-Esteem Issues, Shapeshifting, Social Anxiety, Trust Issues, Unreliable Narrator, War, Worldbuilding, Yuri Plisetsky is a Brat, fictional countries
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-15
Updated: 2018-06-24
Packaged: 2019-04-28 03:43:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,847
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14440719
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/aeriamamaduck/pseuds/aeriamamaduck
Summary: An injured young man's arrival shatters Hasetsu's sense of normalcy.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Oh boy. This update was a long time coming.
> 
> And check it out, it's the first in the series to be broken up in multiple chapters!
> 
> As promised, this is where everything starts to change.
> 
> also otabek is here. YEAHAUHUAHE
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

* * *

 

_Grey clouds roll over the hills_

_Bringing darkness from above..._

 

* * *

 

Nishigori Katsuya's body seized in violent coughs that made everyone in the room wince.

 

Yuuri caught Takeshi's anxious gaze with his for a brief moment, quickly remembering not to openly show the flare of fear he felt at the foreboding sound. Takeshi's father was not a young man, and the past winter had been trying on his lungs. Yuuri's mother had given him the details of the man's illness, how it had lingered beyond what they'd all hoped.

 

Despite all of that, the old man still managed to look at Yuuri with ill-disguised disdain. Once he was over the fit he wiped his mouth and muttered, "And where is Hiroko today? Were she and Mari too busy to come see me that they had to send  _you_  instead?"

 

"Dad," Takeshi admonished, his chagrined gaze landing on Yuuri.

 

Yuuri fought down a wince, focusing on Victor's presence behind him. His mate turned out to be a rather adept student, and his mother had been delighted to start teaching him. In truth, bringing Victor along to calls such as this one helped, even when he could feel the iciness of Victor's hostility towards the old man in the back of his head. He still had that look of indulgent politeness on his face, and Yuuri imitated it so the man wouldn't realize that his words had hit their mark. "It's been busy, but my mother did let me know exactly what you needed," he replied easily, grateful they weren't standing or else his knees would have been shaking.

 

Katsuya sighed and shook his head gravely. "That poor woman. That poor, poor woman."

 

Yuuri heard what went unspoken, and he was quite sure Victor and Takeshi did too. What had his poor mother done to deserve a son like him? It didn't need asking, not when Yuuri had been asking himself the same thing for the past six years. Victor's mind prodded at his, a feather-soft caress. He took a deep breath, momentarily disconnecting from Takeshi's scolding and Katsuya's grumpy replies, and did his duty as a healer. 

 

He was still relieved to be out of the man's room minutes later, refusing to let his knees shake in front of his old friend and his daughter, who had been waiting outside her grandfather's room. Lutz beamed at the sight of them, standing in front of Victor and lifting her arms up. "Victor! Victor, lift me up again!" she demanded.

 

"Lutz, behave," Takeshi said tiredly, eyes flickering towards Yuuri. 

 

Victor, however, smiled back at the tiny girl and lifted her into his arms with ease, making her shriek with delighted laughter. "It's no problem, she's light as a feather!"

 

Yuuri watched him with Lutz, the giggling girl playing with his long braid while he looked at her with gentle blue eyes. Apparently satisfied that his daughter was preoccupied, Takeshi put a hand on Yuuri's shoulder and asked, "Say, Yuuri, can I talk to you for a minute?"

 

"Of course," Yuuri said, ignoring the flare of worry from Victor.

 

"We'll wait for you two outside," the silver-haired man said, gazing at Yuuri as he kept a neutral expression on his face for Lutz's sake before stepping outside with the child in his arms.

 

Once sure Lutz was out of earshot, Takeshi sighed heavily, looking chagrined as he rubbed at his neck. "Thanks for doing this, Yuuri."

 

"There's no need," Yuuri told him, despite the lingering discomfort over what had transpired moments ago.

 

But Takeshi still looked guilty, and he added, "Look, my old man was giving you a hard time in there and I know why. But you should know that I don't feel that way, and-"

 

"I-I know," Yuuri said, forestalling Takeshi's insistence that he trusted him.

 

"Yuuko forgives you, you know that. Everyone else-"

 

"Everyone else feels like they have to look after you and Yuuko." It wasn't totally unreasonable, but there were certainly days when Yuuri, yet again, didn't feel like home was safe. Not with so many hostile eyes on him, all of them expecting him to run again. Or worse, do something to tear Yuuko's marriage apart.

 

Then Takeshi muttered, "Look, I've gotten over it, and my old man's just acting like a-"

 

"Takeshi!" Yuuri exclaimed, nervously glancing towards the room the old man lay in. "Please, don't antagonize your father over me."

 

"He's just being stubborn," Takeshi replied darkly. "And you're still my friend."

 

The sentiment helped a little, and Yuuri couldn't help but give the other man a quick smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes. 

 

"And, er..." Takeshi glanced around them, as though searching for what he wanted to say next. "Mari might've mentioned that you two and Victor's kid brother might be leaving soon."

 

"We are," Yuuri said, hoping he didn't sound too eager about it. The story of how Yuuri and Victor came together wasn't a complete secret, since Victor made sure to tell it to everyone willing to listen (which included anyone who didn't look at Yuuri with hostility), omitting some obvious details. So there were indeed some who knew about Victor and Yuri's current predicament. "Victor hasn't been home since before his injury, and we came straight here..." 

 

"I see," Takeshi said, nodding in understanding. "We're going to miss you three around here."

 

"Thanks, Takeshi," Yuuri murmured quietly, wondering at the kind of welcome he would find among Victor's kin. He could only hope it would be warmer.

 

Lutz reluctantly parted from Victor, the man allowing her one last stroke of his long braid before handing her over to her father. He walked beside Yuuri, who could feel his leftover tension from the encounter with Katsuya. "Well, that was...not very pleasant."

 

Yuuri's soft laugh had a hint of hysteria. "Thank you...for not blowing up at him, I suppose."

 

"That's something Yurio would do," Victor replied, eyes slowly turning stormy as they walked. It was still remarkable to Yuuri just how calm the other man could look even when fury raged behind his eyes. "It took everything in me not to put that old man in his place," Victor said, mouth a flat line.

 

Yuuri believed him, reaching down to give the man's stiff hand a hard squeeze. "I appreciate you holding back. I...I can get used to stuff like that, and-"

 

"You don't deserve such treatment, Yuuri," Victor insisted in a soft voice as they walked through the market, the early afternoon crowd milling around them as they did their shopping. "You're a good man and you obviously have no intentions towards Yuuko." He then lowered his voice to add in a mutter, "But did my presence stop him from insinuating it? It did not, the wretched, phlegm-riddled-"

 

"Y-you're going to crush my hand."

 

Victor flushed and immediately loosened his hold. "Sorry."

 

Yuuri gave him a soft smile, gently squeezing his hand again and saying, "And thank you for being there."

 

His response was another fond look. "You don't need to thank me for that, my love...Are you heading home now?" 

 

"I need to talk to my mother. Why?"

 

His mate gave a one shoulder shrug, brow furrowing again. "I may need to run some of this off. Bring something back."

 

Yuuri nodded in understanding. "I'll check in on Yurio for you," he said before leaning in to press a quick kiss to Victor's cheek. "Be safe."

 

Victor brushed their cheeks together before drawing away, gazing at Yuuri wistfully for a few long moments.

 

Smiling to himself and sighing, Yuuri made his way home.

 

He found his mother in the kitchen, pouring a hot cup of tea for herself and his father. He gratefully accepted one, the hot liquid warming his stomach and easing the tension that had started to gather at his temples. He told her about Katsuya's condition and how he'd proceeded to treat the older man's cough, leaving out the details on his reception of Yuuri. He didn't want to be responsible for any bad blood between her mother and her patients. Let them think of him as a monster, so long as they left his family out of it.

 

Feeling a little relieved of his burdens, Yuuri made his way up to the bedroom, mentally preparing himself to check in on Victor's brother. While their relationship had warmed a bit in the past months (had they really been in Hasetsu that long?), Yuri was still considerably wary of him. It seemed that said wariness had intensified once again after the three of them had discussed telling Yuuri's family about what them being Changers before they left for Victor's village. Yuri had objected as loudly as he could, reminding them both of  _why_  they'd isolated themselves in the first place.

 

But Victor had patiently explained to his fuming brother that the Katsukis were family, three more people that they could trust in the human world. Yuuri agreed that this was something he wanted his family to know about, but he had suddenly grown terrified of someone else finding out. Namely anyone who was currently unwelcoming towards him.

 

He stood at the door and sighed heavily, thinking that he was starting to sound as old as his father. "Yuri? Can I come in?"

 

"Yeah," came the muttered reply a few moments later, and Yuuri slid the door open.

 

A tiny, unmistakable corpse lay in front of where Yuri sat, legs crossed and a defiant expression on his face. Yuuri quickly shut the door behind him, recoiling against it as he stared at Yurio incredulously. "A-are you eating a mouse?!"

 

"What? I was hungry," Yurio said, gaze challenging.

 

"You just had lunch, Yuri!"

 

"What was I supposed to do, let it run off? It was getting cocky, staring at me like I wasn't going to catch it."

 

Yuuri walked closer, sidestepping the unfortunate mouse his brother-in-law had been eating before he came in. "So you thought it was asking for it?"

 

"You don't say anything when Victor eats rabbit," the boy shot back.

 

"He eats them  _outside,_ " Yuuri replied, sitting down near Yuri and trying to ignore the mouse.

 

"Shit, are you seriously gonna start lecturing me too?" Yuri snarled with a roll of his eyes. "You may be my brother's mate, but you're not-"

 

"What? No!" Yuuri exclaimed. Where other people may have reached out, he knew better than to try and touch Yurio, for he was quite convinced the boy would snap at his hand, cat or not. "It's not my place to lecture you. I just wanted to check on you."

 

Yuri glared at him for several moments before sighing and falling backwards onto his bed. "I still think you're both crazy for doing this. But what do I know? I'm just a dumb kid."

 

Yuuri looked at him sympathetically. For all their love for each other, Victor and Yuri's relationship was not exactly simple. Victor had been both brother and parent to his infant brother from a young age, and Yuri's resentment of Victor's authority sometimes overshadowed his brotherly worship. Perhaps it was due to being orphaned so early in life, but Yuri didn't trust easily. "It's not like in the stories, Yuri. My family would never hurt you. They care about you both," he tried explaining, not wanting to sound condescending. He wasn't sure he was succeeding.

 

Yuri had closed his eyes, face smoothing over to something gentle and young, and Yuuri could just imagine how he might have looked to Victor in the days after their parents' deaths; small and fragile. Then he opened his eyes again, the green orbs settling on Yuuri thoughtfully. "...Just them, right? Not anyone else?"

 

"Just them," Yuuri confirmed with a soft smile. "I didn't think you'd be so scared since you tempt fate every-"

 

"I'm not scared, pig!" Yuri growled, sitting up and glaring at him. "Humans aren't like us, okay? We wouldn't hurt them, but...we don't know if they'll hurt us."

 

In that brief, precious moment of vulnerability, Yuuri did reach out to stroke back the golden hair that hung over his face like a curtain. It must have been a shock to both of them. Yuuri had only been so generous with touch with Victor thus far after five years of starving himself of it, but this...it felt good too. It didn't make Yuri lean in towards him for more comfort, but it was something. "You know I wouldn't let that happen," he said softly.

 

He withdrew his hand, deciding to take his victories where he could, and it looked like Yuri had decided not to fight him. At least not today, and at least until Victor showed his face. Sometimes Yuuri was sure Yuri just liked giving his older brother a challenge. 

 

Without a word, Yuuri got up and left him alone with his...snack, and went into his own room. He inhaled deeply, taking in the precious feeling of relaxation while he could. He smiled as he sank into his bed for a quick respite, deciding to forget the day's unpleasantness. 

 

He must have dozed off because it felt as though he'd been dragged out of his blankets when he heard Mari shout from the floor below, "Yuuri, get down here!"

 

He sat up and scrambled to his feet as fast as he could, shooting out of the door and rapidly made his way down the stairs, meeting Mari at the bottom. "What is it?"

 

"Victor found an injured guy outside the village," she said, ushering him into one of the unoccupied rooms. 

 

Stepping inside, Yuuri's stomach gave a violent lurch of the sight of Victor's tunic and trousers swathed in dark blood as he knelt beside Yuuri's mother, both of them bent over the stretched out body of a black-haired young man in dark grey leathers, opened to reveal a wound along the right side of his belly. Yuuri knelt across from his mother and mate, already reaching for the pitcher of water to wash his hands. The young man was pale, and his breaths were already shallow. "What happened?"

 

"He was half-dead when I found him," Victor explained, frowning deeply as he looked the young man over before getting to his feet and out of the way. Yuuri, despite knowing Victor was unhurt, couldn't help being reminded of finding him in that same state months before. He shook off the thought, knowing he needed to worry about the patient.

 

He heard Mari say to Victor, "Come on, let's get you out of those clothes before Yurio sees you like that."

 

Yuuri heard a shuddered exhale from Victor before he left the room, and Mari shut the door behind them to let him and their mother work in peace. 

 

"The bleeding's slowed, at least," Hiroko said, voice firm and steady as she reached for everything they needed. "Let's get to work."

 

"He's wearing Kaziah armor," Yuuri observed, checking the boy's pulse and seeing that he was younger than Yuuri had first thought. Much younger. It made his heart give a hard pound, especially when he knew how close to death the boy was. He looked so young but for some reason someone decided he was old enough to die for his country. "A defector, maybe?"

 

"We'll worry about that once he's out of danger," his mother said.

 

Yuuri agreed and got to work, briefly thinking that they seemed as equals now, rather than student and mentor (though Yuuri doubted he'd ever have her confidence and ease with people). Still, Yuuri couldn't shake off his thoughts about the northwestern nation that bordered them. He'd had had his own problems to worry about over the past few weeks... _years,_  so he couldn't quite think of any state of political affairs that might have meant that what appeared to be a scout would have crossed their border. 

 

They weren't questions that needed answering right now. Not when they needed to make sure the boy lived through the night.

 

Later Yuuri emerged from the room, incredibly exhausted. His mother had shooed him out, insisting she would watch over the boy. He lived, at least. They'd done what they could and would watch for signs of fever, but at least they'd been able to treat what had been a stab wound. The gods were on the boy's side, it seemed, and hopefully they would remain so for as long as it took for the boy to awaken and recover. 

 

 _What did we get ourselves into?_  he asked himself as he thought about the leather armor the boy wore. Just what had the boy escaped? And  _who_  had injured him?

 

He had no idea how long he stood at the door before his father appeared, a gentle smile on his face as he urged, "Go and eat your dinner, Yuuri. I need to check on your mother."

 

Yuuri nodded gratefully, exhaustion settling into his muscles as he pushed of off the door and slowly walked away from that room. "Thanks, Dad," he murmured.

 

"Oh, but you should change out of that tunic first."

 

He blinked at him a few times before peering down at his front. Oh. "R-right," he uttered, hurrying up the stairs to his bedroom to change.

 

Having washed his hands and face, Yuuri was tugging on a tunic when his bedroom door quietly slid open, and he looked up to see Victor closing the door.

 

"How is he?" the older man asked, frowning with worry as he walked in and sat down in front of Yuuri.

 

"He's still alive," Yuuri said, trying to remain hopeful. "How'd you even find him?"

 

"Underneath a bush. It looked like he'd dragged himself there to hide," Victor explained, staring at the floor thoughtfully. "Someone tried to kill him, I could smell another person's blood all over him."

 

Yuuri's stomach gave a lurch at the words. "So the blood wasn't all his...Hopefully they'll think he's dead and not try to finish the job."

 

"I hope so too," his mate said, holding his hands out towards him with a soothing smile. "Come now, we made dinner for you and your mother."

 

Yuuri took his hands gratefully, relishing their soft heat, and stood up to follow him back downstairs, blushing a little when his stomach gave a violent growl.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Song reference:  
> Pompeii by Bastille
> 
> please comment!!


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> on Otabek and the state of the world, featuring a violent reality check

The boy lived.

 

Yuuri felt tremendous relief when he checked on him early the next morning. No sign of fever or anything worse. All he had to do was wake up...and hopefully help quell some of Yuuri's worries.

 

He supposed it was the first time a patient had ever made him feel nervous, and that was taking into account the impact Victor's appearance had on his life. 

 

It seemed to Yuuri that he'd be feeling the impact of that arrival for the rest of his life, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. 

 

When he thought about leaving Hasetsu again he felt a mixture of emotions. It wasn't the same terror that had him fleeing in the dark of night all those years ago. Was he excited?  _Sometimes_ he could muster up an emotion resembling that, but it was very much tempered by nervousness. He knew he wasn't going to leave his family again forever. 

 

Maybe it  _was_ just simple nerves. He wasn't just going to Victor's home, he was going to meet his friends, his family, everyone who cared about him and his little brother.

 

Surely nothing could go wrong.

 

Yuuri wasn't about to start kidding himself with such a thought. 

 

Part of him, the small part that he'd been listening to for years, was convinced that there was no place in Niha where he could hide, especially if anything went wrong.

 

The thought kept creeping into his head, and his breakfast lay partly untouched. He'd checked on the young man and gotten a late start on breakfast, and then it was just him and Victor at the table.

 

"Eat," Victor urged in between bites of his own meal, specks of rice dotting his face. "It's not good to deprive yourself of your breakfast, my love."

 

"You sound like my mother."

 

"Thank you for the compliment. Eat."

 

Yuuri smiled despite himself and ate a bit more, even if he couldn't quite taste any of it. Still, it was worth it to see that relieved, loving smile on Victor's face. "Yuri already ate?"

 

With a nod, Victor said, "He was feeling restless, as usual, so Mari recruited him to keep an eye on our young guest. I told him to yell if anything happened."

 

"...But Yuri always yells. That's how he communicates."

 

"And he does it so well!"

 

So then Yuuri decided it would be wiser to make sure Yuri was actually  _in_ the room and not off terrorizing the local rodent population. Victor stayed behind to clear their plates while Yuuri made his way to the patient's room,

 

He slid the door open and immediately froze as he stood on the threshold.

 

The young man was awake, dazed brown eyes locking onto him as he walked into the room. Yurio was kneeling beside him, already turned in time to catch Yuuri's arrival.

 

"You're awake," Yuuri exclaimed, quickly moving to the young man's side to examine him closely. "Yuri, why didn't you say anything?"

 

"Will you relax?" Yuri replied with a roll of his eyes. "He woke up like a minute ago and he's not even spewing blood."

 

 _Fine choice of words,_ Yuuri thought with a sigh before turning to face the young man, who was still blinking dazedly and wincing as he tried to move. 

 

"Where am I?" he asked, voice low and raspy with pain.

 

Placing a careful, restraining hand on his shoulder, Yuuri gazed at him steadily, hoping he didn't say anything that might have distressed the young man further. A fine healer he would make if he managed to get his own patient killed by way of an unpleasant shock. "...In Hasetsu. It's a village in Niha, south of the Mogota Mountains." He watched as the young man took in the words, clarity flooding into his gaze as his muscles briefly tensed beneath Yuuri's hand. Biting his lip, Yuuri thought of the uniform that still needed mending, and couldn't resist asking, "Are you a Kaziah solider?"

 

Alarm blazed in the young man's eyes before he looked away. Yuuri glanced at Yurio, who was staring intently at the man, awaiting his answer. A moment later, the man muttered, "I _was_ , until a few weeks ago."

 

Meaning he had likely defected, and was on the run, Yuuri supposed. "What's your name?" Yuuri asked him, a new worry taking root in his heart as he remembered just how the man had ended up here.

 

"...Otabek."

 

"I'm Yuuri. I'm one of the healers that helped you. And you've met Yuri, my brother-in-law," he said with a glance in Yurio's direction.

 

Otabek laughed slightly, a quiet, half wince as he looked at Yuuri and then at Yurio. "You're both named 'Yuri'? That's funny..."

 

Yurio groaned, "No, it's not. It's the worst thing that's ever happened to me." 

 

Briefly smirking at the golden haired boy in amusement, Otabek suddenly attempted to sit up. "My armor- _agh!"_ he cried out, falling back onto the bed with a pained grimace.

 

"Careful!" Yuuri exclaimed, heart lurching as he drew the blanket away to make sure Otabek hadn't reopened his wound. Relieved to see that he hadn't, he chided, "Your injuries still need to heal. Any rough movement and you could open the wound again." 

 

Otabek sighed heavily with a shake of his head, desperation flooding his gaze. "Please...there was something important in my armor...one of the pouches at the chest," he said, reaching out as if he wanted to grab it.

 

Yuri, frowning deeply, got up and quickly retrieved the pouch in question, nose curling at what Yuuri assumed was the leftover scent of blood. He handed the pouch to Otabek, who immediately grabbed it and fumbled as he tried to get it open, undoing a complicated-looking knot and reaching inside. He pulled out what appeared to be a tightly-folded piece of parchment. Otabek visibly relaxed, though he still held a tension Yuuri had only seen when Victor was on the hunt. Right now, though, Otabek reminded Yuuri of prey. "It's still here...Thank the gods. I can't stay long. I need to get this to your Emperor as quickly as possible." 

 

"Hold on," Yuuri said, voice firm as he lifted a hand. His mother had always warned him about patients who thought they could do more than their bodies would allow them to, even minutes after an injury that merited rest and recovery. "You almost died, and you have to focus on healing now. That's no tiny scratch, and you're certainly in no condition to go running off to the capital. We have messengers, and I'm sure that-"

 

"No," Otabek interrupted, eyes narrowing in a stubborn glare. "I can't entrust this to anyone. Too many lives depend on it. The outcome of this war depends on it."

 

Yuuri suddenly wished his mother were in the room. Surely she'd be able to reason with Otabek much better than he could.

 

"So there  _is_  a war!" Yurio practically shouted.

 

"As of a month ago. You didn't know?" Otabek asked, looking at them both in bewilderment.

 

Yuuri flushed, embarrassed by his sudden lack of knowledge about the world beyond his own. "Sometimes news doesn't reach us as quickly as it should. Not unless someone pays well for it," he muttered. Call it the drawbacks of keeping his head down, but he certainly wasn't going to give Otabek that explanation.

 

"Are the Ruthenians involved?" Yuri demanded, ignoring Yuuri's embarrassment.

 

"They're still neutral, as far as I know," Otabek answered, staring at Yuri for a long moment. "You're Ruthenian."

 

Yuri nodded in confirmation. "And my brother, Victor. He's the one who found you."

 

At that, Otabek's eyes narrowed before he turned his gaze away, brow furrowing as he seemed to lose himself in memory. Yuuri watched him carefully, suddenly wondering what he remembered of his rescue and why none of them had worried about that earlier. Then Otabek shook his head, still confused. "It's strange...I was probably dreaming, but I thought I saw a wolf. A silver wolf. I didn't even have time to face my death before I lost consciousness."

 

Yuuri's heart pounded anxiously, and by the way Yuri's gaze caught his, he knew Victor's brother could hear it. Clearing his throat, he said in weak tones, "We don't...really get wolves around here."

 

"You were probably just dreaming," Yuri added, fists balling on his lap as if he were retraining himself from something.

 

Before Otabek could call them out on their deception, the door slid open with a thud that made Yuuri jump, and he looked up to see Victor standing at the door, his silver hair unbound and cascading down his shoulders. Yuuri froze in panic, peering at Otabek from out the corner of his eye, and Victor knelt next to him with a wide smile on his face. "Looks like you're awake! Thank goodness! You gave me quite the scare yesterday!"

 

Otabek stared at Victor, appearing surprised by his sudden appearance, before his gaze slowly flooded with that familiar look of intense gratitude Yuuri knew quite well. "Thank you for helping me. I owe you my life," Otabek said to Victor in soft tones.

 

"Then you'd owe your life three times, considering my Yuuri and his mother did much of the work patching you up," Victor said, turning his bright and proud gaze onto Yuuri. "My Yuuri is so talented."

 

Yuuri flushed and looked down at his lap, murmuring, "A lot of it was because of my mother, really." He cleared his throat again and briefly touched Victor's wrist, allowing his own prideful smile to appear. "This is Victor. He's my husband." It was the only way for Yuuri to describe Victor, even if they'd never had a formal marriage ceremony. No one would understand them calling each other "mates" without having to reveal Victor and Yuri's secret. 

 

"It's nice to meet you," Victor said to Otabek before looking up at Yurio. "Yura, why don't you go and find Hiroko? Tell her our young guest is awake."

 

"Fine, fine," Yuri grumbled, getting to his feet and making his way out of the room, but not before stepping behind Victor and giving a strand of his hair a sharp tug.

 

Victor kept facing forward with a friendly smile, but it was Yuuri who turned and gave Yuri a slight glare.

 

Once Yuri left, Otabek sighed roughly as he frowned at the ceiling. "I could be putting you all in danger by staying here. I'm a traitor, so I know they sent more than one assassin after me. I may have a head start, but...they're persistent."

 

"Hasetsu isn't exactly helpless," Victor said confidently. Yuuri was tempted to disagree. His village was quiet, peaceful, almost to the point where they could get complacent. 

 

But saying that would probably urge Otabek to try to leave, so Yuuri kept his mouth shut.

 

* * *

 

Yuuri closed his eyes, his world reduced to golden light from behind the darkness of his eyelids and the tingling sensation of Victor's fingers on his forehead.  

 

His head rested on Victor's lap, Victor sitting against a tree in the only place in Hasetsu where they and Yuri could be open about everything, without either of them feeling like they were in danger of discovery.

 

Keeping his eyes closed, Yuuri sighed and said to Victor, "I wish you wouldn't exaggerate about me."

 

"What do you mean?" Victor said, fingers pausing in the center of Yuuri's brow.

 

Yuuri thought of late that morning, of the way his mother could put a still-agitated Otabek at some semblance of ease with a few words and the sound of her voice, all while treating his injury as painlessly as possible. Yuuri was quite sure that all he could do was spread his nervousness around. "I'll never be as good as my mother. I think everyone here's in agreement about that," he said, thinking about Takeshi's father.

 

Victor gave his forehead three sharp taps. "Now, now. You don't know that."

 

He did, though. But Yuuri didn't want to have that argument. Instead he decided to focus his anxious energy on another topic, repeating Victor's gesture by tapping his wrist and saying with a smirk, "And please try not to exaggerate like that when we get to your village."

 

Victor laughed at that, dragging his fingers through Yuuri's hair and disheveling it fondly. "You're too modest, Yuuri! How can you not expect my to brag about what an amazing and talented mate I have?"

 

"All I want is to make a good impression on them," Yuuri said, finally opening his eyes and blinking against the sunlight. He sat up, self-conscious as he patted his hair back in place. "I am going to stand out, after all," he added, giving voice to his worry about being the only human among such supernatural creatures as Victor. 

 

He felt Victor's lips at his nape in a soft kiss. "They'll love you, I know it," he breathed against Yuuri's flushed skin. "You saved my life, after all."

 

Yuuri flushed further at the words, thinking of all that had transpired to lead them to this point, and all that had happened to lead Victor into Yuuri's life. So many months away from his home, and Victor was...He was smiling. Every single day he was smiling. And Yuri...well, he seemed content to just be around his brother, even though his desire for home was more obvious. Yuuri turned to look at his mate with a pained look. "...I still can't believe you're willing to keep waiting to go back home. I mean...I'm sure you miss it."

 

Something flickered across Victor's face for a moment, something Yuuri had only seen less than a handful of times. But it was quickly replaced by that bright, flawless smile that was clearly meant to be reassuring. "Yuuri, don't worry about me! I'm just happy I got you home and met your family-"

 

Yuuri reached up to touch Victor's cheek, thumb stroking the corner of his mouth as his smile slowly faded. "...You don't...have to hide anything from me. You know that, right?" Yuuri asked, an entreaty in his voice as he looked right at Victor.

 

And indeed, Victor seemed to reluctantly let his mask fall, a subtle ache flooding his eyes as he leaned into Yuuri's palm. "...I do miss it," he admitted in soft tones. "I miss Yakov, Mila and Georgi..." He closed his eyes and pressed a kiss to Yuuri's palm, sighing heavily before he smiled again, something tender and childlike. "There's this...enormous tree near the village. My parents used to take me there, and my father taught me how to climb it. The last time we made a race of it, and Mama standing at the base, holding Yuri and telling us to be careful." 

 

Yuuri smiled back, relieved by Victor's honesty even as guilt wrapped around his heart. Swallowing, Yuuri asked, "Do you look like your mother or your father?"

 

Victor laughed into Yuuri's palm. "I am my father reborn, but I have my mother's eyes." He opened those same eyes, still flooded with pain, and added, "Yuri looks so much like her, it was...sometimes hard to look at him."

 

That surprised Yuuri. Victor was so affectionate towards Yuri, the younger of the two acting like Victor was smothering him. But back then Victor's loss had been so fresh, and he was so young. It obviously wasn't that way now, since Yuuri had witnessed Victor watching Yuri at rest, and perhaps he was searching for their mother in his brother's face when it was in repose. Bringing his other hand up to frame Victor's face, Yuuri said with conviction, "I'll get you both home. I promise. Really soon." 

 

Victor beamed at him, a beautiful sight that made Yuuri's heart skip a beat. "Do you know what the best part is? Yura and I have two homes now."

 

Then Yuuri's heart skipped another beat. This place had claimed Victor so thoroughly even when he couldn't be himself within it. Even when some regarded him with suspicion or even pity due to his ties with Yuuri.  

 

He shoved that thought aside, stroking Victor's fine silver tresses with his hands while smiling softly. "I could swear Otabek recognized you."

 

"He was in and out of consciousness," Victor reasoned, closing his eyes as Yuuri gently combed through his hair. "People see strange things in that state. For example, when I was first injured I opened my eyes and saw a handsome, brown-eyed spirit hovering over me."

 

Yuuri snorted into Victor's hair, giving him a dry look. "I wonder what that was about."

 

* * *

 

"You two are  _killing me,_ " Yuri snarled as he slammed the door closed.

 

Yuuri didn't even bother reacting to it, used to it as he was. At least Yuri limited his sour moods to when it was just the three of them.

 

"How so, Yura?" Victor asked him in innocent tones, a brief blaze of mild impatience flaring in the back of Yuuri's mind, one that made Victor give Yuuri an apologetic look for the lapse. 

 

Yuuri gave him a sympathetic nod. The lapse wasn't exactly out of place, but Victor seemed to pride himself on being in control of his reactions and standing as an example for his short-fused brother. 

 

At the same time, Yuuri couldn't hide the guilt in his heart, knowing why Yuri was so impatient.

 

As if in full agreement with Yuuri's feeling of guilt, Yuri pointed an accusing finger at him, a gesture that had Victor's smile going flat. "You said we were telling  _your_ family about us before we went home! So far you two idiots haven't said anything!"

 

Biting his lip, Yuuri wondered how that particular conversation hadn't happened. It was like they'd been happily letting the events of the past few days distract them, such as trying to keep Otabek from bolting out on his own without being fully recovered and Katsuya taking a turn for the worse. "It's just...we've been preoccupied with Otabek, and then Toshiya's father got sick...I guess we got distracted."

 

"We could just leave without telling anyone," Yuri reasoned, deliberately not looking at Victor, whose gaze began to turn hard.

 

It sounded like the simplest idea, one that would save them a potentially awkward moment or, gods forbid, a rejection. Yuuri steered away from those thoughts. He knew it was unfair of him to make such assumptions about his parents and sister, especially after all he'd put them through. "I...I don't want to keep this a secret from my family anymore," he said quietly.

 

But then how would he explain? How could he begin to? What would change? Was there a chance Yuuri was wrong to fear? Or...completely right to?

 

He could sense that Victor was about to say something when he was loudly interrupted by Yurio saying, "Then both of you quit screwing around before I decide to transform in front of Mari and get it over with."

 

At that Victor gave Yuri a firm look as he got to his feet and placed a hand on his brother's shoulder and looked him in the eye. "We'll tell them. Soon. But you need to be  _patient,"_ he said with a firm pat to Yuri's bony shoulder.

 

Yuri shrugged the touch off, looking absolutely mutinous. "Hypocrite," he spat out, glaring at Victor.

 

"Maybe, but I'm your older brother and you have to listen to me and stop making such foolish threats," Victor told him with a wide smile that held very little humor as he ruffled Yuri's hair.

 

Batting Victor's hand away with a snarl, Yuri spun on his heel and stalked out of the room. He slammed the door shut for the second time, and once again Yuuri didn't react to it.

 

Yuuri was too preoccupied with the shame flooding through him. "He's right. I've been putting this off," he admitted, staving off the soothing thoughts Victor was sending his way. He tried to summon what determination he could, not even managing to sound braver than he felt when he added, "I just have to...come out with it and face...whatever happens. We've been putting it off for way too long."

 

Victor crouched in front of him again, cupping Yuuri's face to lift his gaze toward Victor's. "What were you going to do?" he asked in soft tones. "Pull your mother and yourself out of your work? You've both been busy."

 

That was an understatement. At least they'd already checked on Otabek and somewhat convinced him to stay put, but neither Yuuri nor his mother would fool themselves into thinking Otabek would keep still once he regained his strength. Still, Victor and Yuri had clearly had enough of waiting even though Victor was keeping up that brave front. Sighing heavily, Yuuri wrapped a hand around Victor's wrist, squeezing it gently. "I want to take you both home. It's not right to keep you both waiting, so...no more putting it off. My mother's still checking in on Takeshi's father. We should all be together for breakfast tomorrow," he said, telling himself that it needed to happen. No more delays.

 

He couldn't help but smile at the relief and joy that flooded their mental link, or when Victor wrapped him up in a tight hug, humming happily as he nuzzled Yuuri's hair. "It'll be fine," he said with absolute confidence. "I don't expect your father to pull a knife on us and call us demons."

 

Yuuri definitely had a hard time picturing that, in spite of his misgivings. "...I guess we've never been especially superstitious," he muttered, finally letting himself sink into the comfort Victor had been aching to give him. Eyeing his worn bag, he thought of the herbs he'd need to replenish, especially if they were thinking of leaving sometime soon. "As long as I'm feeling brave, let's go to the market," he said as he drew away from Victor's embrace and got to his feet, pulling him up with him.

 

As they made their way out, Yuuri peered into the half-open door of Otabek's room, relieved to see that he was still in his bed, looking like he wasn't listening to Mari's halfhearted attempts at conversation. 

 

Yuuri's mother wasn't one to pry, even when they were dying to know the exact circumstances of his attack. 

 

There was no sign of Yuri, but they wouldn't worry about him yet. At least not until Yuri showed up to dinner in his cat form. 

 

Still, the guilt didn't quite dissipate as he and Victor went about their business, and Victor's own guilt filtered in to join his. It wasn't the first time it had happened, but it was still something Victor tended to keep to himself, not wanting to exacerbate any negative emotion Yuuri was feeling in terms of their lengthy stay in Hasetsu. 

 

Such occurrences were like silent yet rich conversations, useful when Yuuri wouldn't say a thing aloud or Victor became withdrawn, though no one else could see what was happening between them. Well...no one who was human, at least, but it wasn't like Yuri could read their minds. 

 

It didn't happen often, but this time Yuuri managed to somewhat lose himself in the intimacy of their link, quietly airing out each other's worries while not concerning himself with the glances that were _still_  being sent his way or the stiff politeness shopkeepers spoke to him with.

 

Anyone who did speak to them immediately asked about the blood-covered young man Victor had brought into Hasetsu (and it seemed as though it was the only thing everyone had been curious about, and Yuuri didn't doubt his mother had been bombarded with questions).

 

It didn't matter in that moment, Yuuri taking Victor's hand in his and giving it a squeeze as he felt trust flood his heart. Sensing it, Victor gave him that beautiful smile that made Yuuri almost stop in his tracks, forgetting about making their way home and what awaited them in the morning.

 

It was as if holding on to each other suddenly had their hearts feeling lighter, and Yuuri let himself enjoy the sensation. He wished it could always be so. Maybe it would be once he was somewhere new, somewhere no one knew him, where he could have a fresh start.

 

It would happen soon. They still had to prepare and plan, but Yuuri would finally be able to keep his promise to get Victor home safe and healthy.

 

Then Victor's mind suddenly slammed shut, and Yuuri watched the look of bliss on his face turn to one of intense focus and suspicion as he turned his sharpened gaze towards home.

 

Confused and surprised, Yuuri followed his gaze, past the dozens of people sharing the street with them, walking in both directions and unaware of the sudden alarm radiating off of Victor. "...Victor, what is it?"

 

Victor let go of his hand, every part of him appearing as tense as if he were hunting in his wolf or falcon form. "...I heard a scream coming from home," he replied, voice flat and steady as he kept moving forward.

 

Terror knifed through Yuuri's gut, and he bolted down the street without another thought, ignoring Victor's noise of warning as he ran towards his home, a prayer catching in his throat as his heart pounded against his chest painfully.

 

 _No, no...Gods, please no,_ he begged, catching sight of people turning towards his home in bewilderment as they passed by. What were they hearing,  _what were they hearing?_

 

Otabek burst out of the door, clutching his injured side as he stumbled to the ground. People quickly gasped and backed away at the sight, some of them running in other directions, and Yuuri froze in his tracks, Victor's hand closing around his arm in a hard grip.

 

Scrambling backwards with a pained grimace on his face, Otabek was looking back towards the building, eyes flooded with pain and fury and hatred. Yuuri was so focused on him and the rapid spread of blood beneath his once-pristine bandage, he almost didn't notice the second shape appearing at the door. 

 

It was the flash of a knife that did catch Yuuri's attention, and his eyes fell on a thin young man wearing the same leather armor as Otabek and holding a knife in his hand.

 

 _Mari,_ Yuuri thought, frozen in that long second as the assassin moved towards Otabek.  _Dad...!_

 

He could sense Victor coiling for a strike beside him, and Yuuri couldn't summon up his voice or thoughts to say anything that might stop him. He was too far away, the assassin had a knife, a  _knife with blood dripping from the tip._

 

Otabek was trying to get up, the people in the area were too shocked and terrified to react, and there were so many screams.

 

The assassin hissed something in another language, a string of words that made Otabek's glare intensify, but it was all he could do as the assassin prepared to leap at him and finish the job.

 

A ginger blur leaped out from the door, latching tightly onto the assassin's arm.

 

Victor's horror exploded in Yuuri's mind, and Yuuri watched as the assassin howled in pain as Yuri sank his fangs into the exposed meat of his hand.

 

 _"YURI!"_ Victor shouted, letting go of Yuuri and running towards them. Yuuri was still frozen, watching the way Yuri held on with vicious snarls as he scratched the assassin's arm. But there seemed to be nothing that would make him let go of his knife.

 

Then he swung his arm out with what sounded like a curse, the force of it knocking Yuri off.

 

But not without the knife slicing a thin red line across his belly.

 

Victor never stopped running.

 

Several things burst into Yuuri's mind, but the loudest was a vehement denial, horrified and helpless as Yuri's feline body hit the wall of the house, hard, before falling to the ground on his side.

 

Yuuri supposed it all would have been slightly better if Yuri had stayed that way, but he must have been terrified, in pain, or dazed, to the point where he forgot to stop himself from Changing.

 

But Yuri did Change before Yuuri or Victor could stop him, and Yuuri watched in horror as the wound in his belly seemed to open up even more in a grotesque, bloody grimace as Yuri rapidly grew into his human size.

 

Yuri panted raggedly, curled up and clutching his belly as he bled, eyes wide and bright with agony and terror.

 

For a second it was all Yuuri could focus on.

 

Then everything exploded in violence, and all that came from Victor's mind was the intense desire to kill.

 

Yuuri looked away from Yuri, finding his voice as Victor roared and Changed in an instant, a mass of silver fur leaping towards the assassin.

 

Even as fury and bloodlust filled his mind, Yuuri screamed,  _"VICTOR, NO!"_

 

And then there was nothing more he could do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> very sincere apologies for leaving it there
> 
> more on otabek's situation and his defection in the next chapter
> 
> yell at me in the comments and on tumblr: **aeriamamaduck**


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I had "Mr. Blue Sky" on repeat while editing.
> 
> Upped the rating during editing too.
> 
> Enjoy! Please comment.

The taste of blood flooded Yuuri's mouth in the brief instant before, once again, it was just his own thoughts and emotions in his head, the tinge of red-hot fury staining the sudden silence. 

 

He stood in the same spot, idly wondering if the scene in front of him was real, if he was really seeing Victor in his wolf form, standing over Yuri's prone shape protectively. The once pristine silver fur of his muzzle and neck was drenched in dark red blood, which still spurted out of the gaping wound on the assassin's neck as he gave a few futile twitches before falling still.

 

Yuri lost consciousness, oblivious to the low growls his brother aimed at the corpse, though it certainly didn't seem to look that way to everyone who had dared to stay behind once a wolf appeared where a man once stood.

 

For a few moments it was like everyone was holding their collective breath, until someone breathed out explosively. "Gods save us!"

 

Yuuri turned towards the source, terrified. Not because of Victor's blood-drenched form, but because of the unveiled fear and hostility from the dozen or so people behind Otabek, three of them brandishing makeshift spears.

 

At the sight of them Yuuri instantly bolted forward, heart racing uncontrollably as his own fury flooded it, making him put himself between Victor and the people he used to know, the people he would look away from in fear of what they might discover if he caught their gazes, seeing what he saw in himself, unworthy of his family, Yuuko, all the good in his life.

 

He stared right at them as he stood with his back to Victor, his vision imperfect, but even so he knew them all. For five years he'd seen their faces in his most unsettling dreams, in every dark thought that plagued him and kept him abed.

 

So he had no clear idea what they saw now, if they were looking at him with even more hostility than they already had in the past weeks. But he wasn't going to let them keep pointing those spears at Victor. The only one he could see in near-decent clarity was Otabek, who was holding a hand to his wound while gaping at Victor.

 

_Victor..._

 

His mind was still closed off to Yuuri, and Yuuri spun on his heel and knelt in front of him, close enough that he saw him with perfect clarity. Blood blazed across his front much like it had when Yuuri found him, the pale skin of his arm drenched in blood as he lay on the cold ground. 

 

But that was Victor in there, and even though the sight of him had Yuuri's heart rate speeding up, he wasn't going to turn away from him. He quickly clutched the fur of Victor's neck, looking into eyes that were focusing on him. 

 

 _You see me._ "Victor? That's right, Victor," he urged, keeping his voice low enough for only him to hear. He glanced at Yuri, alarmed by his pallor and the blood still staining his clothing, and tightened his grip on Victor's fur. "It's me, you know me. Y-you need to Change back now, alright?"

 

Victor's growling had stopped, and Yuuri blocked out everyone else. He heard noise from the doorway and then he heard Mari's voice shout, "Yuuri!" 

 

He didn't look at her, didn't tear away from Victor's gaze, knowing what he'd find in his sister's. If she could she might have tugged him away, but Yuuri could feel her fear as she stood nearby, urgency in her voice as she yelled, "Get away from it,  _now!"_

 

All Yuuri did was raise a hand, flinching slightly at the thought of everyone at his back. "Don't do anything! It's alright!" he warned, watching Victor's pupils dilate.

 

"Are you insane!? That's a wolf!" Mari yelled, cold terror making her voice shake.

 

"Mari, don't! It's Victor! He'd never hurt me!" Yuuri yelled back, 

 

"You brought a demon to us?!" someone suddenly shouted, violence in his tone. "Something this dangerous was  _here_ the whole time!?"

 

Yet again rage made Yuuri see red, and he looked over his shoulder and shot back, " _SHUT UP!_ That's his brother lying there!" He didn't bother seeing who it was, turning back to Victor and hearing the beginnings of a whine from deep in his throat. His own heart aching at the sound, Yuuri kept talking to him. "Victor, please. I can keep them from hurting you, but you need to listen to me. You need to let me help Yuri."

 

He watched something like terror swirl across the blues of Victor's eyes, and a moment or two later it was Victor kneeling in front of him in his human form. Yuuri was so used to it the Change was nearly imperceptible, but he heard the sharp gasps of shock around them. He didn't turn around and acknowledge it, gazing right at him and the blood staining his jaw and his front.

 

In that moment his mind opened up, and Yuuri was nearly bowed by the horror, the revulsion, the absolute disbelief streaming out of Victor's heart.

 

Whatever Yuuri might have said to him caught in his throat, Victor's agony swirling inside of him. 

 

It came to a sudden stop when he heard his mother say in soft, worried tones, "Yuuri...?"

 

"It's alright, Mom," Yuuri automatically replied.

 

 _No it isn't,_ Victor thought with a small shake of his head, turning to look over his shoulder at Yuri.  _They're afraid. They'll hurt Yuri again._

 

Before Yuuri could say anything he watched Victor's eyes turn hostile, aimed at something behind Yuuri. He spun around and immediately shielded Victor from the man behind a spear, standing a short distance away but ready to use his crude weapon. "Get out of the way, Katsuki!" he roared.

 

He could feel Victor's defensiveness, his need to jump in and get rid of another threat, _Before he hurts you._ Yuuri's mind lit up with denial and he watched his mother step in, her usually soft face hard with barely-restrained fury as she put herself between the three of them and the man. "That's enough," she said firmly, head slowly turning to include every person gathered in her warning as she bent at the waist to help Otabek to his feet. He did so shakily, leaning on her shoulder as she warned, "Don't come near my home  _or_ my family."

 

"Hiroko, that _demon_  killed someone!" someone else yelled.

 

"I've told you to leave. I have patients to treat," Yuuri heard his mother say, her voice unwavering. He heard rapid movement from behind him, and turned to see Victor frantically taking Yuri in his arms while murmuring to him in their language. He shakily got to his feet, and Yuuri stood to help him, trying very hard not to shake too.

 

Mari hesitated only for a moment before beckoning Victor forward, worry bleeding into her dark eyes as they fell on Yuri's unconscious form. Yuuri turned around again, concerned for his mother, and was relieved to see that the man wasn't aiming his spear at them anymore, but was still glaring at them. Yuuri could sense all the discontent and suspicion aimed at them, but his mother stood her ground. She flicked her head towards the corpse on the ground, and said, "Take this with you, and don't ever point a spear at my son again." With that she turned on her heel and helped Otabek back into the inn, placing a hand on Yuuri's arm to urge him inside with them.

 

Yuuri turned away from the people, and didn't breathe until he shut the door behind him. Right away his mother checked on Otabek, who waved away her worry with a muttered, "It will keep. I'm not bleeding badly. Both of you go with Yuri."

 

Hiroko looked at him critically before sighing and telling him, "Keep pressure on it and follow us. My daughter can check on your wound."

 

Without another wound they all followed after Victor and Mari.

 

They had already laid Yuri out on the futon, Mari stripping off Yuri's ruined shirt and revealing the pallor of his torso, marred by the bloody gash across his belly.

 

Yuuri wanted to scream, to beg his mother to save the boy's life. But his hands itched to step forth and do what he could to ensure Yuri would heal.

 

Victor knelt near Yuri, his face a mask of horror as he gazed at his brother's still form. His hand moved slightly, reaching out. He froze and his gaze filled with further shock at the sight of blood staining his hands. 

 

His mind, utterly exposed, was a mixture of revulsion at himself and even more horror at the sight of the blood. He looked down at himself, eyes widening when he saw the dark red spread on his chest, and touched his trembling fingers to his chin.

 

Disgust spread through his thoughts like a sickness, and all Yuuri could hear from his head was,  _The blood the blood I can taste blood-_

 

He got up and sped out of the room, shutting his thoughts away again, and part of Yuuri wanted to go after him.

 

Then he heard his mother and sister's quick exchange of words, the familiar motions of healing pulling him towards Yuri, all that was left of Victor's family. 

 

And so he cleaned his hands thoroughly, knowing Victor wasn't going anywhere. 

 

He joined his mother, focusing on the wound as he helped, and not on his brother-in-law's face. Mari had already taken Otabek aside to check on his wound.

 

Even as they worked and kept their heads bent over Yuri, Mari asked with incredulity, "Yuuri, did you know? This whole time?"

 

"Of course I did," Yuuri replied simply, ignoring the stab of guilt he immediately felt.

 

Then his mother asked him as her hands moved steadily, "Yuuri, is there anything different I should look out for?"

 

"Nothing. They just heal faster," he replied.

 

"Handy," his sister said softly.

 

The sound of her voice made Yuuri raise his gaze towards her, and he sucked in a breath when he saw the thin red line of blood on his sister's upper arm. It wasn't bleeding dangerously, but even so Yuuri exclaimed, "Mari, you're hurt!"

 

She just shook her head and said, "It's just a scratch. I got lucky." 

 

Yuuri caught the way Otabek drew his brows together before he turned back to Yuri. He and Victor hadn't even been gone that long, and someone had actually gotten into their home. He didn't want to imagine what had gone on, what that assassin might have wanted to do to his family in order to get to Otabek. "So it was you Victor heard screaming," Yuuri said quietly, recalling Victor's sudden sharp focus when he heard it.

 

"I suppose," Mari said, head bent over Otabek's torso. "I ran into that guy in the hall trying to get into Otabek's room. He took a swipe at me but Otabek lured him out. Yuri just...transformed in front of me and went after them." There was a pause before Mari added, "You saved my life, Otabek."

 

Yuuri heard a strained noise from Otabek, something like a laugh or a groan, tinged with pain. "I couldn't let him kill you or your father," he said. "It'd be a poor way to repay you for all you've done. Is Yuri going to be alright?"

 

Looking up at his mother's face, Yuuri searched for answers. The wound was shallow, and they'd stopped the bleeding, but Yuuri needed to hear something good. Her brown eyes met his, allowing a brief moment of familial warmth and reassurance before she said, "He will be."

 

Yuuri let out a long exhale. He couldn't face Victor with any other answer. He tried to reach out to him, but he only met that same barrier. 

 

He almost wished he'd followed Victor.

 

* * *

 

Yuuri only caught the briefest glimpse of Victor minutes later as he was leading Otabek back to his room, his back to them as Yuuri heard soft murmurs in his father's voice. 

 

His throat tight at Victor's mental silence, Yuuri held on to Otabek as they went into his room, shutting the door behind him and helping him into the bed as carefully as he could.

 

Otabek settled down, but was decidedly tense as he lay his head on the pillow and stared at the ceiling, brow deeply furrowed. "...Victor was the wolf I saw," he stated without a hint of doubt.

 

Yuuri didn't want to patronize him with a denial, and frankly the time for secrets had passed. "Yeah. He was out hunting and found you," he confirmed, watching Otabek's expression carefully.

 

He sighed, nodding at Yuuri's reply and turning his thoughtful gaze on him. "I suppose it's obvious why you kept that a secret," he said with a wry smile.

 

Yuuri smiled back sheepishly, seeing how Otabek's face looked considerably softened when he smiled. He looked like the boy he was. Still, Yuuri looked at his lap, his smile fading as he thought of the guilt he felt over keeping the secret and the way it kept them from going to Victor's village. "This isn't how we wanted my family to find out," he said in soft tones. "We weren't even planning on the rest of the village finding out." A village full of people who thought Victor was a demon. A killer.

 

 _I need to get them out of here,_ he thought with sudden terror, thinking of that spear aimed at them.  _I can't let them get hurt._

 

But then shame filled Otabek's face and he shook his head. "I shouldn't have stayed. If I hadn't been here, Mari and Yuri wouldn't have been hurt. Victor wouldn't have transformed."

 

"And you probably would've dropped dead before you got anywhere," Yuuri reasoned, trying to keep his anxiety out of his voice. "...Did you know that man?" he asked carefully, memories of Victor's wolf jaws closing over the man's neck, making him drop his knife as Victor pinned him to the ground, struggling futilely as his throat was torn open.

 

Otabek was silent for a moment, breathing steadily and gazing at the ceiling before saying, "We were trained together."

 

Yuuri froze and stared at Otabek. The young man sighed again and went on, "He's not just an assassin, he's a spy. We were close to the King, trusted with his plans and secrets only because our loyalty was unwavering." He laughed bitterly and added, "Well...almost."

 

Easily guessing whose loyalty wavered, Yuuri nodded in understanding and asked, "What made you leave?"

 

"...Two months ago someone I considered a close friend was killed. Discovered by your Imperial soldiers. His head and the rest of his body was sent back and..." Otabek shut his eyes them, brows coming together in anger and sorrow, gripping his blanket tightly for a moment before he said, "Our King thought him disposable, just like the rest of us. Not only that, I found out he'd lied about what caused the war.

 

"Our people thought yours had viciously murdered the King's nephew." He then looked at Yuuri with another bitter smile, and added, "Our beloved young prince had actually massacred an entire village when a family decided they didn't want his soldiers demanding gold and taking liberties with their daughters, and the survivors repaid him in kind."

 

Yuuri went lax with shock. Had he been so self-absorbed for so long that he missed something so shocking and horrifying? He'd kept his head down so well he might as well have been walking with his head buried in the earth, ignorant to what was going on in Niha and the fact that he, Victor, and Yurio had been fortunate to not have run into trouble on their journey to Hasetsu. More than a month. This had been going on for more than a month. How many were already dead?

 

Otabek went on, "I started to question so much and found unsettling answers. I didn't want to be used anymore. What I carried with me were plans, army movements, and the King's weaknesses. It's why I have to leave as soon as I can and reach your general on the front lines."

 

Of course Yuuri understood. He always had, but he couldn't let his sympathy interfere with his duty as a healer. "You obviously can't leave now, Otabek. And...I understand why something like this can't be trusted to a messenger, but if you die or another spy finds you, it will have been for nothing. At least wait until you're sure you can run faster than whoever's chasing you," he said to the young man, trying to sound reassuring but firm.

 

"Sound advice," Otabek murmured, settling into the futon at least. 

 

Once he made sure Otabek was comfortable and would rest, Yuuri left the room. He closed the door and looked up at the sound of soft footsteps.

 

He hid his disappointment when he saw that it was his father rather than Victor. His father smiled at him in gentle greeting. "How are we doing in here?"

 

"Better, I think," Yuuri replied. "Is Yuri-"

 

"He's going to make it. He's resting," his father said, pointing towards the other room. "Victor's in there with him. He told me everything."

 

He said it so matter-of-factly, but guilt still seized Yuuri by the windpipe. He looked away, and his voice sounded feeble to his own ears as he explained, "We were going to tell you. Tomorrow, in fact. I just...I didn't know how you'd react."

 

He hated the way that sounded, and he hated that he'd said it to his kind, mild-mannered father. He fell silent, feeling only dread until feeling a hand on his shoulder. Yuuri looked up to see his father still smiling at him before he said, "They're your family, and that makes them our family. Whatever they can do doesn't make them evil. I said as much to Victor, but I think he needs to hear it from you too."

 

Yuuri seized on the relief that came with those words. "Thanks, Dad," he said, managing a small smile.

 

With a few bracing pats to Yuuri's back, Toshiya gave him a gentle push towards Yuri's room. "Go ahead. I have to make sure dinner's ready,"

 

Right. He still had to face Victor again. 

 

For all the comfort they gave each other, Yuuri felt woefully unprepared for something like this. Victor had felt such shock and revulsion at himself, and while his once painful detachment from his wolf shape was something familiar, this was something different.

 

Yuuri paused at the door, biting his lip and trying to put his thoughts together. Was Victor going back to that state of mind? Thinking that he couldn't embrace his wolf shape because of what it represented? What it represented to him personally?

 

A wild wolf had killed his parents, taken them away from him and Yuri.

 

Victor had killed the assassin after seeing him hurt Yuri. 

 

That same assassin would have killed Mari or Yuuri's father. What would he have done if he'd been in Victor's shoes?

 

 _Get killed_ , he thought wryly.  _I'm no wolf._

 

Taking a deep breath, Yuuri slowly opened the door and stepped inside.

 

Victor knelt next to a still-unconscious Yuri, his back to the door. Yuuri didn't see his hands anywhere near Yuri, and when he went to kneel next to Victor, he saw that his mate had his hands tightly clasped on his lap.

 

Yuuri looked at his face, still unable to see into his thoughts. Victor looked exhausted, pain flooding his eyes as he kept them focused on Yuri. There was no trace of blood on him, and he was dressed in clean clothes. He didn't look at Yuuri, and in fact looked as if he was deliberately avoiding Yuuri's gaze. "He'll heal quickly," he finally said, his voice tight.

 

"That's good," Yuuri breathed, keeping his own hands in his lap even though he was aching to touch Victor, to say that everything would be fine, that they'd leave Hasetsu as soon as Yuri had the strength for a long journey. But he refrained, and instead asked, "How are you?"

 

"Wonderful, compared to him," Victor replied, voice still painfully tight. He was silent for a few moments before he shut his eyes and covered his face with his hand, tears trickling down his cheeks as his jaw clenched. Yuuri turned towards him, alarmed by the sight and even more when he couldn't glimpse into Victor's head. Victor gritted out amid quiet sobs, "I promised my parents I'd keep him safe...They must hate me."

 

"I'm sure they don't!" Yuuri exclaimed, fingers clenching uselessly.

 

"What if he'd died, Yuuri?" Victor asked as he looked at him tearfully, shaking with such agony. "How could I bear it?" 

 

Yuuri reached out, needing to take him into his arms. "Victor..."

 

Suddenly Victor tore his arm away, wrapping them both around himself and shutting his eyes again. " _Don't!_ Don't, I...I can still taste blood. I've tried washing it out with wine,  _everything_ , and...I can still smell it all over me."

 

Yuuri drew his hands away, anxiety beating at him as he watched Victor tremble as he wept. Was this how Victor felt when he couldn't reach Yuuri? When Yuuri felt so lost and overwhelmed he couldn't even bear touch? Victor shook his head and wiped at his face, saying in shaky tones, "I never wanted to be a killer, Yuuri. Not like a real wolf."

 

It was that same old fear, the one that had surprised Yuuri back when he thought Victor was something akin to a god, a beautiful being that had landed in Yuuri's dark world by mere chance. Swallowing and gently placing a hand on Victor's arm, Yuuri quietly said, "You did what you had to. He hurt Yurio and Mari, and he would've killed Otabek."

 

"What if I'd hurt you too?" Victor asked, misery bleeding into his voice. 

 

"You wouldn't," Yuuri immediately said with absolute certainty.

 

"Yuuri-"

 

"You wouldn't," Yuuri repeated, taking Victor's face in his hands and bringing his gaze to his. "I had my back turned to you and I was touching you just like this. Nothing happened. I trust you, Victor," he said with a soft smile.

 

It didn't surprise him that Victor didn't return it, but he did lean into Yuuri's touch, closing his eyes and sighing heavily. "I hate this."

 

"It's a part of you," Yuuri said to him, pressing their foreheads together and stroking Victor's cheeks with his thumbs. His heart soared with relief when Victor's hands wrapped around his wrists. While still warm, they were clammy, and Yuuri took them between his to bring them back to their normal heat. "Victor...Could you really deny that part of yourself again?"

 

"I don't know," Victor answered, keeping his eyes closed. "I know I wasn't happy the first time, but...You saw how they looked at me."

 

That brought back Yuuri's fear, but along with it came a surge of anger towards every witness out there who had cried out for...for Victor's murder. They'd been afraid and...and ignorant, and not even Yuuri's words could sway them. "What do they know?" he asked, anger coloring his tone. "What do they know about you?" he asked in a much softer tone, warm with all the love and need in his heart, before pressing soft kisses to Victor's cheek, moving down to the corner of his mouth and catching the tiny trace of wine on his lips.

 

Victor ducked his face before Yuuri could kiss his mouth. Yuuri drew back, but not without squeezing Victor's hands in his. "Don't shut me out. I love you," he entreated quietly.

 

Those blue eyes looked at him again, in pain but still just as loving. Yuuri kept smiling at him, and said, "We should tone it down before Yuri wakes up and yells at us."

 

Victor let out a soft laugh before turning to look at his brother, finally reaching down to gently stroke Yuri's golden hair away from his face. The youth didn't react to the touch but he was still breathing steadily. "I wish he would," Victor murmured, stroking Yuri's cheek for a few moments while gazing at him with such tenderness.

 

Yuuri watched them, allowing himself to smile at the sight, before getting to his feet. "I'll get you something to eat."

 

"I don't think I can," Victor replied quietly.

 

"Something to drink, at least. Please, Victor." 

 

Victor was silent before finally acquiescing with a soft, "Alright."

 

Yuuri smiled in victory as he made his way out of the room. 

 

As he went towards the kitchen he could only hear the soft murmurs of the voices he knew and loved, the ones he trusted. He didn't try to listen to anything from outside, and tried very hard not to think about what might be being said about them. 

 

Whatever happened outside his home, there'd be trouble, and he wanted to be far away from it as soon as possible.

 

He was pouring two cups of tea in the kitchen when Mari walked in. She paused at the door, and Yuuri caught sight of the clean bandage wrapped around her bare arm.

 

He could have lost her. That thought alone made him want to never want to leave. "How's your cut?" he asked, brow wrinkling with concern.

 

"I'll live," she said with her habitual smirk, though the brief flicker of wariness in her eyes betrayed some remembered fear.

 

Still, he returned her smirk, pouring her a cup and handing it to her as he asked half-jokingly, "So...Is anyone threatening to beat down our door yet?"

 

She laughed softly and said, "I don't think so. I think they're either terrified of Mom or Victor. At least they got that corpse out of the way."

 

That was good at least. Yuuri certainly didn't want to walk out to the sight of _that_ on their doorstep. He sighed and held on to the cups, relishing the heat seeping into his skin as he remembered the anger aimed at them, they way they were so willing to _kill_ Victor. "I'd rather they be terrified of Mom. Victor's not a demon. He's not a monster, he was-"

 

"Protecting Yurio. I know," Mari interrupted gently. "Well, I know that  _now_. I see my little brother standing in front of a wolf, I'm kind of entitled to a moment of panic. It's an older sibling's job." She paused briefly, her smile fading as she looked away for a moment before saying, "Victor's going to be fine too."

 

He gave her a grateful look. "Yeah. Yeah, I hope so."

 

He went back to the room with the cups in hand, finding nothing changed as he handed Victor his cup, taking his place next to him after closing the door, both of them watching Yurio as Victor kept gently running his fingers through his soft hair as Yurio slept.

 

Yuuri almost didn't notice that Victor's mind was open to him again. He almost started at the realization and, staying silent, reached out tentatively with his own thoughts.

 

He heard a sigh from Victor before feeling his mate's thoughts wrap around his in warm welcome, surrounding him in the powerful blend of fear, worry, love, adoration, gratitude...

 

He laid his head on Victor's shoulder, watching him take Yurio's hand and give if a careful squeeze.

 

Victor turned to press a kiss to the top of Yuuri's head, leaning his own cheek there and letting out a soft noise of worry. "...Is Otabek...?"

 

"He'll be fine," Yuuri assured him, reaching down to run his fingers over Yurio's forehead to check his temperature.

 

Victor nodded twice, and Yuuri pulled away from his mind, allowing him to put his thoughts together. Then Victor asked in an exhausted tone, "Who did I kill? Who was he to him?"

 

"Someone who thought him a traitor," Yuuri explained, keeping his voice steady as he lay his fingertips on Yurio's wrist, atop his pulse point. "Someone who was going to kill him for doing the right thing," he added, carefully putting Yurio's arm down again and looking at his face for a moment. Bizarre as it was, he wanted the acerbic kid back on his feet, vibrating with unspent energy. He didn't need to be in this bed, injured and unconscious. He should have been home, doing as he pleased and trying to get the best of Victor when they hunted. "As soon as Yuri heals, we'll go home," Yuuri said softly.

 

Victor let out a long breath, his relief spreading into Yuuri's mind. "Thank you," he said in a whisper. "Won't you miss your home, Yuuri?"

 

Yuuri let out a soft, sardonic laugh. "Home? Where people call the man I love a demon?"

 

"They're a bit justified," Victor said, pressing his cheek into Yuuri's hair.

 

"No, they're not."

 

Victor lifted his head and turned to look at Yuuri in the eye, saying firmly, "Then don't let them chase you away from a place you've been wanting to return to for five years."

 

Yuuri gazed back at him, not knowing what to say or what to think. Yes, he'd wanted to come back all while denying it for five years, knowing it would never be like it used to be when he was Yurio's age, praying he could somehow fix  _everything_ so he could be someone worthy of Yuuko, worthy of his mother's teachings.

 

But it wouldn't be the same. He'd broken Yuuko's heart after everything they'd shared and turned his back on his family, running away from his problems.

 

And he'd returned to suspicion that sometimes overshadowed the love and security he felt with his family and even with Yuuko and Takeshi.

 

He looked at his lap, trying not to think miserable thoughts, but then Victor's hand found its way to his chin, caressing the underside as he lifted Yuuri's gaze again.

 

Warmth smoldered in those blue eyes, aglow with worry and love, urging him to say what he buried in his mind.

 

They both froze when they heard Yuri mutter tightly, "Stop getting mushy in front of me."

 

Victor immediately let Yuuri go, turning to hover over Yurio anxiously as tears glittered in his eyes. "Yura!" he exclaimed, overjoyed, before adding a few more words in Ruthenian and stroking Yurio's face.

 

Yurio looked up at him, his wide-eyed gaze only increasing his vulnerable semblance. He was only a _child_ , only a couple of years younger than Otabek, who'd been so close to death when Victor found him. And then Yurio frowned and weakly batted at Victor, wincing at the movement and making Yuuri move closer to him. "Get  _off_. Give me breathing room." He caught sight of Yuuri, who watched him carefully, and peered down at himself before slowly lifting the blanker. "What happened?" he asked as Yuuri pulled the blanket back and exposed his bandaged stomach. No terrifying amount of blood.

 

Yuuri sighed in relief, glancing at Victor and finding him staring right at the wound. He looked at Yurio again and asked, "Do you remember what happened?"

 

Yurio frowned with another wince, closing his eyes with a ragged sigh. "Ugh. Yeah. That was a stupid move. I thought that weird smell in the house was just another patient, but..." He looked around, worry suddenly appearing in his eyes. "Where's Otabek? Is he alright?" 

 

"He's fine. He's resting in the other room," Yuuri told him.

 

"I guess the secret's out," the boy muttered before smiling sardonically. "Just so you know, that wasn't on purpose," he added with a tiny laugh.

 

Victor clicked his tongue and pushed Yurio's hair back, gently chiding, "Don't laugh,  _kotik,_ you'll rip your stitches open."

 

Yurio gave another wince and closed his eyes again, brow still knotted with pain. "Yeah, that doesn't sound great," he ground out, clutching the sheets beneath him.

 

He needed something for the pain, Yuuri determined. He also needed to fill his mother in on Yuri's condition, and there was still the fact that Victor had to eat something. He looked at the way Victor was still regarding Yurio with such pain and worry and got an idea. It was a rather cheap move, but he couldn't let Victor remain like this. "Yuri, can you do me a favor?" he asked his brother-in-law, trying to look completely innocent.

 

Yurio gave him a surprised look and asked, "Yeah, what?"

 

"Can you tell your brother to eat something before he passes out?" he asked, finally letting himself smile at the flabbergasted look on Victor's face.

 

Victor glanced at his brother, whose expression turned so subtly mischievous as he raised an eyebrow at him, and laughed softly, eyes still bright with tears as he looked at them both. "Ganging up on me now?"

 

"Hey, I don't want you passing out on top of me either. Eat something, you giant idiot," Yurio said, giving a strand of Victor's hair a little yank.

 

Victor allowed it, laughing softly and giving Yurio an indulgent look. "Fine. Fine, you both win."

 

Yuuri gave them both a smile and got to his feet, pausing to look at the brothers for a moment. Victor was all gratitude, smiling tremulously as he stroked Yurio's hair. Yurio still looked rather pale, and his annoyance wasn't genuine. His hands shook and the way his eyes flicked towards every sound reminded Yuuri of the way his cat ears would turn to catch some noise Yuuri couldn't hear.

 

They both looked wounded and fragile.

 

Yuuri left the room and only made it a short distance before he had to lean against the wall, taking a deep breath and letting it out in a shudder as exhaustion seized his limbs.

 

* * *

 

Everything was quiet.

 

Well, quiet in a human sense, he supposed.

 

Victor still heard the small things, alert to anything unusual like...like someone else sneaking into the inn.

 

What most stood out were the sounds of Yuuri and Yurio's breathing, Yuuri's breathing low and deep as he lay on a futon he'd laid out a few feet away from Yurio's. He'd confessed that he was probably too nervous to actually fall asleep, but as soon as he lay down he was asleep within minutes. 

 

Victor understood. He must have worn himself out worrying and doing everything he could to help Yuri even if the wound was shallow in the end.

 

Still, Victor never wanted to see Yuri like that, covered in his own blood as it flooded out of him, his skin turning white.

 

Victor had honestly thought he was going to die. 

 

But even if he hadn't thought that he would have killed that assassin for laying a hand on Yuri. 

 

And he'd done it, without a thought. All he needed to see was Yuri lying there and the blood on the tip of the knife, and he Changed as he always did, easily and fluidly, and suddenly blood filled his mouth as his fangs ripped through skin like it was parchment.

 

He wanted to forget. So badly. He could still taste that flood of red in his mouth, and it almost made him sick again. As soon as he'd run out of Yuri's room, still-covered in blood, he'd retched into a bucket he'd found, stomach rebelling as he realized just what he'd done. And he didn't want Yuuri to experience any of it through their shared bond.

 

He was no better than the beasts that had killed his parents.

 

Victor didn't remember what their wounds looked like. He hadn't looked at them long, he was twelve and trembling in barely-concealed horror over everything that had happened, over seeing them carried in, a lifeless mass of torn flesh and clothes, gold and silver hair tangled up and all that used to be them drenched in blood.

 

He'd thought that it couldn't possibly be his mother and father. They were careful, they were  _always_ careful...

 

That was when he realized he was alone with his tiny, defenseless brother.

 

And today he'd nearly lost him too.

 

Victor shut his eyes tightly, fingers pausing as he ran them across Yuri's forehead, trying to soothe him to sleep. There was no soothing Victor, not now at least. He couldn't possibly laugh any of this away, not Yuri's injury or his blunders or the way the villagers glared at him with such terror. 

 

And they blamed Yuuri.

 

Victor wanted to take them both home, even Yuuri's family. It wasn't possible, of course. This was Yuuri's home, no matter where he went, and the Katsukis belonged to this place. 

 

Still, the villagers feared him, and were hostile towards Yuuri. He felt such a surge of fury at the thought of them threatening him, all while Yuri lay bleeding on the ground, possibly dying. 

 

It would be good to go home.

 

Victor could go to his parents' graves and beg their forgiveness, all so he could stop seeing their disappointed faces in his mind.

 

Yuri's heartbeat sped up every now and then, fearful as prey.

 

Victor knew the sound of it, remembering all those times when Yuri's cries woke him in the night when he was just a baby and thunder shook their house. Then he grew and tried to hide it under a veil of bravado and arrogance, punching Victor if he so much as mentioned it.

 

It reminded Victor of their mother Nadezhda's pride, save for the punching. 

 

Then there was the obvious physical resemblance. 

 

He never wanted to remember either of his parents as bloodied corpses or the still, dead bodies they buried in all their finery, skin utterly colorless. 

 

Yuri had their mother's effortless beauty, tossing his hair the same way and undoubtedly her grace. 

 

His brother opened his eyes, still not tired. Those green orbs looked up at Victor, as if trying to look into his mind. "What?" he murmured.

 

Victor smiled down at him, saying softly, "You look just like Mama." 

 

Yuri's eyes widened briefly in surprise, then he looked away with a mutter of, "Yeah, everyone says that." He paused thoughtfully and didn't look at Victor as he added, "...You never talk about them."

 

"I know." He didn't. Not to Yuri, or anyone. 

 

Not until Yuuri, who just... _listened_ to him. 

 

But, in his grief, he said nothing to Yurio, who didn't need to shoulder his brother's melancholy.

 

Still, Yuri added with a touch of resentment, "I've heard more from other people. You'd rather goof off hunting, dancing, or getting yourself hurt on some stupid trip you decided to go on by yourself. Anything except talk to me about our own parents."

 

It had been wrong of him, Victor realized, to let Yuri depend on others for stories that should have come from Victor. Yuri lost them before he ever knew them or their faces, and Victor had had a lifetime, short as it was. He remembered listening to Yuri's plaintive cries during the burial, calling for a mother who would never hold him while some other woman carried him. Victor hadn't trusted himself to hold on to him securely, and so his arms hung limply at his sides as he watched them lower the bodies. "...What do you want to know about them?" he finally asked, gazing at Yuri with all the sorrow and regret he could muster.

 

Once again Yuri looked at him with genuine surprise. He was silent for a moment before biting his lip and asking softly, "...Is it true you look just like Papa?"

 

Victor smiled softly and replied, "Everyone says I'm identical to him. I always was." 

 

"But you've got Mama's eyes, right?"

 

"And you've got the rest of her," Victor told him, lightly pinching his nose and laughing when Yuri grumbled. "You sulk just like her too."

 

Yuri glared at him and muttered, "She probably sulked because she got stuck with an idiot like you for a kid. Thank the gods I came along."

 

"Well, you should know she'd be scolding your ears off for pulling that stunt today," Victor told him with a touch of severity, fear briefly surging through him at the thought of Yuri rushing towards an armed assassin.

 

His brother snorted with a small wince. "It slowed that bastard down, didn't it?"

 

"Shh..." Victor started to rub circles over Yuri's forehead again, wanting him to rest while the painkiller still worked. He gave Yuuri a glance, seeing him as still as stone as he slept deeply, his brow slightly furrowed. "I almost forgot to tell you," Victor murmured to Yuri. "We're going home as soon as you're healed."

 

His heart ached at the sight of hope blooming in Yuri's eyes. "Really?" his brother asked.

 

"Yes, Yura," he assured him, listening closely to the sound of Yuri's pulse and breathing. "It's alright if you were afraid," he said quietly.

 

But of course his brother didn't disappoint him, narrowing his eyes and muttering, "I'm not afraid of anything."

 

"Well, I was," Victor said, giving Yuri's forehead three light taps on the forehead. "I thought I was going to lose you," he admitted, voice heavy with pain.

 

Yuri scoffed again, closing his eyes tightly and squeezing Victor's hand with his. "You're stuck with me. I'm not letting you out of my sight," he said to Victor with such resolve. And Victor knew there would be no arguing with him.

 

Victor smiled at him approvingly, squeezing Yuri's hand back. 

 

He was tired, but sleep wouldn't come easily to him. He took comfort in the thought that they'd all be home soon.

 

 _Everything's going to be fine_ , Victor thought as he turned to look at Yuuri's sleeping form.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> <\--TO BE CONTINUED-- 
> 
> *Roundabout plays*
> 
> So Victor and Yuri's parents in this AU are *ahem* _AU_ versions of my original characters Nadezhda and Leonid, Victor's parents in my canonverse stories. I had a bit of an ulterior motive when I set up Nadezhda's physical appearance for **they have stolen the heart from inside you** xD.
> 
> Please leave a comment!
> 
> Yell at me on tumblr: **aeriamamaduck**
> 
> The next part will pick up where we left off~


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